Steven writes to ask whether the Kingdom of God is synonymous with the visible church or whether it is broader than the visible church? These questions have been particularly a matter of discussion since the rise of the Dutch neo-Calvinist movement in . . . Continue reading →
Today’s Heidelcast answers mail on the question of whether it is to the living or to the dead that God gives faith. Dan writes to ask “I believe, at least inferentially, that the Canons of Dort teach that regeneration logically precedes faith. . . . Continue reading →
Many years ago a fellow I knew used to practice what he called “evangelism” by asking people, “Do you know the way to [the local amusement park]?” Nice, irrepressibly helpful Midwesterners they were, folk would always stop to give directions. Then, our . . . Continue reading →
The Church of Steel vs A Cross of Wood In downtown San Diego there is a storefront on Broadway which advertises itself as the “Church of Steel.” I found an interview with the proprietor (minister?) of this “church” and it is enlightening. . . . Continue reading →
A correspondent writes to about an Anglican minister who advised the poor, who are starving, who’ve somehow fallen through the extensive British social safety net, among his congregation, to shoplift rather than commit burglary. He asked them not to steal from small . . . Continue reading →
What’s the difference between legalism and antinomianism? The latter is the denial of the abiding validity of God’s moral law for the life of the believer. The church has been afflicted with antinomianism throughout its history. All the Gnostics of the 2nd . . . Continue reading →
This episode of the Heidelcast, from January, 2010, takes a look at Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl’s reaction to being forced to go to church for Christmas. It’s useful to hear how silly Christians appear to unbelievers when we try to be . . . Continue reading →
What is the role of the civil magistrate in advancing the ministry of the church? The HC had mail from Jason about Belgic Confession Art 36 on the civil magistrate. At first reading it seems to teach that the magistrate needs to . . . Continue reading →
The Heidelcast answers mail from Sam about how to pursue the reformation of worship in a congregation and about how much doctrinal agreement is necessary for a marriage.
Both Nancy and William Twisse (and the latter is particularly remarkable since, as the first prolocutor of the Westminster Assembly, he’s been dead for centuries) both wrote to the HB sometime back to ask how Reformed confessionalists relate the doctrine of sola . . . Continue reading →
David writes with a question on worship, which we may paraphrase thus: If we can do something in worship on a Wednesday night Bible study or in personal devotions why can’t we do it in a Sunday morning service? Ken asks whether . . . Continue reading →
Rummaging around the old hard drive I found a lost episode of the Heidelcast from December 2009. Sam wrote to ask about whether and how to approach his church about reforming their worship service. He also asked about the degree to which . . . Continue reading →
We like the idea of direct, special revelation that speaks to our particular circumstances. Most of us don’t relish the idea of struggling in prayer, of dealing with doubt, of making a decision in the midst of uncertainty. God could clear things . . . Continue reading →
Modern evangelicals often assume that the line between canonical and post-canonical life is blurry or non-existent. Making that distinction, however, is essential to knowing God’s will. This isn’t the most popular way of thinking about God’s will, however. After all, why listen to . . . Continue reading →
According to Deuteronomy 29:29 believers are to trust in, rely upon, listen to, and obey that which God has revealed rather than seeking what God has not revealed. In the history of redemptive history the practice of seeking God’s will where he . . . Continue reading →
The single most pressing question I hear is: “How can I know God’s will?” Prospective seminary students want to know whether they should attend seminary. Couples want to know whether they should get married. Ministers want to know whether to take a . . . Continue reading →
Here’s part 1. We live in an uncertain age. At the same time there has been an explosion of modern English-language Bible translations. This development has created some uncertainty about how to think about Bible translation. Some have responded to both by . . . Continue reading →
Recently Mike Pohlman at the Gospel Coalition posted a link to a WSJ piece on fundamentalism including reference to the “King James Only” movement. Here are some thoughts on how we should think about Bible translations. Heidelcast Episode 6: What About Bible . . . Continue reading →
Without a doubt, one of the Reformed doctrines which evangelical and fundamentalist Christians find most scandalous is the doctrine of definite, personal or limited atonement. This rejection happens, in part, because the Reformed teaching is not always well understood. Sometimes the misunderstandings . . . Continue reading →
Reformed theology and piety has been frequently caricatured as “dry” by which I take it critics mean to suggest that it is overly academic, overly intellectual and unconcerned about the interior, spiritual life of the believer. That this is a caricature is . . . Continue reading →